Do you consistently find yourself tossing and turning, unable to achieve restorative rest? If you’re one of the more than half of American adults who feel they don’t get enough sleep, the problem might not just be stress or screen time—it might be what you ate for dinner or that late-night snack.
While illness, workload, and shift work certainly play a role in poor sleep, the foods and drinks consumed before bed are significant factors. Foods that are high-fat and low-fiber, like a slice of cheesecake or a chocolate-covered donut, are associated with lighter, less restorative sleep. But the culprits aren't always unhealthy treats. Sometimes, perfectly nutritious foods can also rob you of a good night’s slumber.
Here are seven categories of foods and drinks you might want to skip several hours before hitting the pillow:
If your go-to bedtime snack is cheese and crackers, beware of sharp varieties like cheddar or creamy Camembert. These strong, aged cheeses contain high amounts of tyramine, an amino acid naturally present in many foods. For some sensitive individuals, tyramine can cause a spike in heart rate and blood pressure, making it significantly harder to fall asleep.
If you must have cheese before bed, consider options made from pasteurized milk, such as cottage cheese, farmer cheese, or cream cheese, as these are less likely to contain high levels of tyramine.
Though packed with nutrients, high-protein foods like steak and chicken are slow to digest. This poses a major problem right before bed because the body’s digestion process slows down by as much as 50 percent during sleep. The body must remain active to absorb these proteins, delaying true rest.
It’s also wise to avoid cured meats like salami and pepperoni late in the evening. These items contain naturally occurring amino acids that cause blood vessels to tighten, resulting in increased blood pressure.
While popcorn itself is not the biggest villain, how it is consumed matters. A survey found that people who prefer sweetened popcorn get some of the worst sleep, averaging 12 fewer minutes of sleep per night compared to others.
Plain, air-popped popcorn can actually be beneficial if eaten earlier in the day, as it offers a dose of resistant starch—a type of fiber that feeds good bacteria in the large intestine. If you’re going to snack on popcorn, make sure it’s plain and consume it in the afternoon, not while watching a late-night movie.
Citrus fruits are notorious sleep saboteurs due to their high citric acid content. When you eat, a muscular tube usually closes to block food and digestive fluid (gastric juice) from flowing back up into the esophagus.
Citric acid prompts your stomach to produce more acid, increasing stomach fullness and raising the chances of acid reflux and heartburn. This painful burning sensation in your throat or chest can certainly disrupt a restful night.
Whether you enjoy them raw, in a sauce on pasta, or as ketchup on a hot dog, tomatoes are a common element of the American diet. While they boast benefits like fighting infections and lowering heart disease risk, they carry risks for sleep health.
Tomatoes are acidic and contribute to heartburn and may cause stomach bloating—both significant issues for sleep. Furthermore, tomatoes are rich in tyramine, the same amino acid found in aged cheeses, which can increase brain activity and effectively delay sleep. Avoid tomatoes and tomato sauces several hours before settling in for the night.
It’s common knowledge that caffeine keeps you alert. The body quickly absorbs caffeine, circulating it throughout the system and into the brain. There, it blocks adenosine, a chemical messenger that promotes sleep. This action increases alertness and leaves you feeling wired and energetic.
Coffee, black tea, green tea, and even decaffeinated coffee (which still contains small amounts of caffeine) can make it harder to relax and fall asleep. While hot chocolate contains very little caffeine, the sugar used to sweeten it can also disturb sleep patterns. A better choice before bed is a warming and relaxing herbal tea.
Many people view a nightcap—a glass of wine or beer—as a way to induce sleepiness. However, evidence overwhelmingly shows that alcohol significantly damages the quality of sleep.
Sleep occurs in five stages, culminating in REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. REM sleep is the deepest stage, vital for feeling rested, and crucial for memory and learning. Alcohol dramatically decreases the amount of REM sleep you achieve. It also changes the amount of time you spend in the lightest stage of sleep and causes frequent, often unnoticed, awakenings.
For those with sleep apnea, alcohol is particularly detrimental as it relaxes the muscles that keep the airway open, increasing the number of shallow, ineffective breaths.
If you enjoy alcohol, moderation is key. Heavy drinking (more than two drinks for men or one for women) can lead to an almost 40 percent reduction in sleep quality. To minimize impact, allow time for the alcohol to metabolize; its effects begin to diminish roughly three hours after consumption.
Disclaimer This article is for informational purposes only and is based on the provided source material. It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or sleep disorder.
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